Railway transfer-ticket.



PATENTED JUNE 9, 1903.

W. F. HAM. RAILWAY TRANSFER TICKET.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

E U N E UNITED STATES Patented une Q, 1903;.

\VILLIAM F. HAM, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

RAILWAY TRANSFER-TICKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 730,764, dated June 9,1903.

Application filed February 26, 1903. Serial No. 145,294. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,WILLIAM F. HAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invent- 5 ednew and useful Improvements in Railway Transfer'Tickets, of which thefollowing is a specification.

I This invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements intransfer-tickets, more particularly in what are termed time-limittransfer-tickets, generally employed for the transferring of a passengerfrom one branch of a railroad system to another; and the object thereofis to effect as quickly as possible the continuous passage of the personto whom the ticket is given.

A further object of the invention is to prevent the fraudulentuse of theticket after the time limit has expired, as well as to gen;

system em 10 ed in connection WlBl1l3ll-' roads, particularlystreet-railway systems.

The invention further aims to provide a ticket which shall be extremelysimple, so that the conductor or other person issuingthe same will notbe placed to any inconvenience in properly mutilating the ticket toprevent the fraudulent use thereof after the expiration of the timelimit set for the use of the ticket.

l/Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thenovel combination and arrangement of parts and inscriptions forming theticket to be hereinafter more specifically described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, and particularly pointed out in the claimshereunto appended, I In describing the invention in detail reference ishad to the accompanying drawing, forminga part of this specification,and which illustrates a front elevation of the ticket.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the transfer-ticketaccording to my invention consists of a strip of suitable materialdivided into a body portion 1, an ante-meridiem or forenoon coupon 2,detachably connected to one end of the body portion, and apost-ineridiem or afternoon of longitudinally-extending columns 4 5, and

at one end of the column 4 is placed an inscription to indicate in whichdirection the car *is traveling, as at 6---for example, West and at thecorresponding end of the column 5 is placed an inscription to'indicatein which ,direction the car is traveling, as at '7for example, East.These inscriptions 6 7 may .be North or South, if necessary.

Extending transversely of the columns 45 is a plurality of.inscriptions, as at S, indicating the transfer-points and thedirectionwhich the passenger will take after transfer.

When the ticket is to be used, the party issuing the same punches orotherwise mutilates one of the columns 4 5 at one of the inscriptionsfor the transfer point. This will indicate where the transfer is tomade, will also indicate in which direction the passenger is to betransported, and will also indicate that the car was traveling west whenthe transfer was issued. For example, if the column 4 is mutilated atthe inscription F 11th & F-S it willindicate that the passenger is totravel south at that point and that the car was traveling west when thetransfer was issued, as the inultilation appears in the west column. Ifthe mutilation be made in column 5 at the inscription 11th &; F-S, itwill indicate that the passenger is to travel south at that point andthat the transfer was issued while the car was traveling east, as themutilation was made in the east'column.

The body portion 1 is further provided with an inscription, as at 9, toindicate thename of the railroad issuing the transfer, and parallel withthe said inscription 9 is arranged a column of abbreviations, as at 10,to indicate the months of the year. The respective abbreviation for themonth during which the tickets are used is adapted to be punched orotherwise mutilated when the ticket is issued. Between the inscription 9and the column 5 upon the body portion 1 is arranged a suitabledesignatory inscription, as at 11for example, instructions to thepassengerto explain when and how the ticket is required to be used. Thebody portion 1 is also provided with a suitable indicating means 12 toindicate the day of the month upon which the transfer-ticket was issued.

The A. M. coupon 2 is separated from the body portion 1 by means of aline of suitable perforations or indentations 13 and has its outer faceprovided with a plurality of horizontally and longitudinally extendinglines to form a plurality of parallel columns of spaces 14, 14, 14*, 14,14, and 14". There are twelve spaces to each column, and the firstcolumn of spaces is consecutively numbered from 1 to 12. Each of thespaces of the second column is provided with the character 1, each ofthe spaces of the third column with the character 2, each of the spacesof the fourth column with the character 3, each of the spaces of thefifth column with the character 4, and each of the spaces of the sixthcolumn with the character 5. The first column is designated by thereference character 14, the second 14, the third 14, the fourth 14, thefifth 14 and the sixth 14. The numbers in the column 14 are adapted toindicate the hourof the forenoon when the transfer is to be used, andthe numbers in the columns 14 to 14, inclusive, are adapted to indicatethe fractions of the hour in which the transfer-ticket is to be used.For example, when the ticket is issued it will be assumed that the timelimit is set for thirty minutes past eight in the forenoon. The con--ductor or other person when issuing the ticket will punch the character3 in the column 14, which is arranged in alinement with the character 8.This will indicate that the ticket or transfer can be used until thirtyminutes past the hour or until 8.30 a. m.

Preferably the A. M. coupon is white, with the characters in blackthereon. The A. M. coupon may be of a different color from that stated;but the characters and lines thereon should be of a different color tothat of the color of the coupon.

The P. M. coupon 3 is separated from the body portion 1 by means of aline of suitable perforations or indentations, as at 15, and has itsouter face provided with a plurality of horizontally and longitudinallyextending lines to form a plurality of parallel columns of spaces 16, 1616, 16, 16", and 16 There are twelve spaces to each column, and thefirst column of spaces is consecutively numbered from 1 to 12. Each ofthe spaces of the second column is provided with the character 1, eachof the spaces of the third colu nm with the character 2, each of thespaces 'forenoon or in the afternoon.

of the fourth column with the character 3, each of the spaces of thefifth column with the character 4, and each of the spaces of the sixthcolumn with the character 5. The first column is designated by thereference character 16, the second 16 the third 16", the fourth 16, thefifth 16 and the sixth 16 The numbers in the column 16 are adapted toindicate the hour of the afternoon when the transfer is to be used, andthe numbers in the columns 16 to 16 inclusive, are adapted to indicatethe fractions of the hour in which the transfer-ticket is to be used.For example, when the ticket is issued it will be assumed that the timelimit is set'for thirty minutes ,past eight p. m. The conductor or otherperson when issuing the ticket will punch the character 3 in the column16, which is arranged in alinement with the character 8. This willindicate that the ticket or transfer can be used until thirty minutespast the hour or until 8.30 p. m. Preferably the P. M. coupon is black,with the'characters thereon of the color of the ticket. The P. M.coupon3 may be of a difierent color, if desired; but the characters and linesthereon should be of a different color to that of the color of thecoupon, and preferably the color of the coupon should be readilydistinguishable from the body portion of the ticket.

To assist in detaching either the A. M. coupon or the P. M. coupon fromthe body port-ion,the strip of material forming the transfer-ticket maybe provided, if desired, with a plurality of notches in each sidethereof, as at 17. Other notches may be employed, as indicated by thereference character 18, for separating the entire ticket from a shortstub 19 when the tickets are bound up in packages. These notches 18 arenot essential, as the tickets when formed into packages may be gluedtogether in such manner that they can be easily separated.

The manner of mutilating or punching the body portion 1 has beenhereinbefore set forth, so it will not be necessary to refer to itagain; but the manner of using the A. M. and RM. coupons is as follows:If the transfer-ticket is used in the forenoon, the P. M. coupon isdetached therefrom, or if the ticket is used in the afternoon the A. M.coupon is detached therefrom. As the A.M.and P. M.coupons areofdifierent colors,the conductor or party receiving the transfer cantell at a glance whether the transfer is to be used in the By providingthe A. M. and P. M. coupons in the manner set forth it is evident thatif the transferticket is issued to be used in the morning and the P. M.coupon detached it will readily prevent the fraudulent use of thetransfer in the afternoon, and if the transfer-ticket is issued to beused in the afternoon and the A. M. coupon is detached it will beevident that if an attempt is made to fraudulentlynse the coupon in theforenoon it will be readily detected.

The manner of indicating the time limit for using the transfer has beenhereinbefore set forth in connection with the description of the A.M.and P. M. coupons, and it is thought unnecessary to refer to it again.

It will be evident by the employment ofthe transfer-ticket hereinbeforeset forth that there is no possibility of a mistake on the part of theconductor or other party issuing the transfer in making the timelimit A.M. when it should be P. M. or P. M. when it should be A. M., thuspreventing dis putes between passengers and the conductors accepting thetransfers. It will furthermore be evident that the conductor or otherperson issuing the transfer can detach the proper coupon from thetransfer-ticket without unnecessary loss of time or neglect of his otherduties. It will furthermore be evident that the conductor receiving thetransfer can tell at a glance whether the transfer is to be used in theforenoon or in the afternoon, so as to prevent the fraudulent use of theticket in the afternoon if it is issued in the forenoon and thefraudulent use of the ticket in the forenoon if it is issued in theafternoon, thus preventing one of the greatest abuses. attendant uponthe transfer system.

A further advantage of the transfer constructed in accordance with theforegoing description is that the examination of the returns ofconductors or parties receiving the transfers can be made with muchgreater facility, as a glance will suifice to indicate whether theticket was issued to be used in the forenoon or afternoon.

Another advantage of the transfer-ticket constructed in accordance withthis invention is that it overcomes the greatest abuse of the transfersystem, and that is it prevents afternoon transfers being used in theforenoon, or vice versa. With the multiplicity of the conductors dutiesit is often impossible for him to scrutinize all the transferticketsthat are handed him, and some means of making a distinction between A.M. and P. M. transfers, evident from the merest glance, will proveinvaluable, which advantage, as above stated, a transfer-ticketconstructed in accordance with the foregoing description possesses, and,on the other hand, in connection with the conductor issuing the transferhe must not be burdened with any system of punching of a cumbersomenature the simpler the betterand this simplicity in a transfer is fullyobtained by the transferticket hereinbefore shown and described.

It is thought the many advantages of a time-limit transfer-ticketconstructed in accordance with the foregoing description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, can be readily understood. Itwill before described, and as shown in the accompanying drawing, butreserve the right to make such changes, variations, and modifications ascome properly within the scope of the protection prayed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A transfer-ticket comprising a body portion and a pair of coupons,said coupons bearing conventional indications to constitue, re-

- spectively, an ante-meridiem-indicating coupon and apost-meridiem-indicating coupon.

2. A transfer-ticket comprising a body portion and a coupon at each endthereof, said coupons bearing conventional indications to constitute,respectively, an ante-meridiem-iudicating coupon and apost-meridiem-indicatin g coupon.

3. A transfer-ticket comprising a body portion and a pair of coupons,each of said coupons having time-limit-indicating inscriptions thereon,and each of said coupons bearing conventional indications to constitute,respectively, an ante-meridiem coupon and a post-meridiem-indicatingcoupon.

4. A transfer-ticket comprising a body portion and a pair of coupons,each of said coupons having time-limit-indicating inscriptions thereon,the inscriptions of one coupon being of a difierent color from those onthe other coupon so as to constitute, respectively, anante-meridiem-indicating coupon and a post-meridiem-indicating coupon.

5. A transfer-ticket comprising a body portion provided withinscriptions for indicating transfer-points and the direction of travel,and a coupon at each end of said-body portion, said coupons bearingconventional indications to constitute, respectively, anautomeridiem-indicating coupon and a-post-meridiem-indicating coupon.

6. A transfer-ticket comprising a body por tion provided withinscriptions forindicating transfer-points and the direction of travel,and a coupon at each end of said body portion, each of said couponshaving time-limitindicating inscriptions thereon, and said couponsbearing conventional indications to constitute, respectively, anante-meridiem-indieating coupon and a post-meridiem-indicat- 7 and acoupon connected to each end of said bod y portion, said coupons havingtime-limitindicating inscriptions thereon, the inscriptions of onecoupon being of a different color from those of the other couponconstituting, respectively, an ante meridiem indicating coupon and apost-meridiem coupon.

8. A transfer-ticket provided with a. pair of coupons and furtherprovided with conven- IO tional indications to constitute the saidcoupons, respectively, an ante-meridieIn-indicating coupon and apost-meridiem-indicating coupon.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

, WVILLIAM F. HAM.

Witnesses:

N. LoUIs BOGAN, GEO. W. REA.

